Catholic Fire

“I turn to those who have political responsibility both on a local and on an international level, as well as to all persons of goodwill, with a heartfelt appeal to engage in a vast mobilization of consciences in favor of persecuted Christians. They have the right to once again find security and serenity in their own countries, freely professing our faith.” ~ Pope Francis in his General Audience on November 12, 2014 Image Source: Vatican Radio

In his General Audience today, Pope Francis continued his catechisis on the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, defining the gift of piety: ""Dear Brothers and Sisters:  In our continuing catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we now turn to the gift of piety.  Through this spiritual gift, we experience ever anew, with joy and gratitude, the loving relationship with God our Father which has been granted us in Jesus his Son.  It is this loving relationship which grounds and perfects our authentic worship of God.   The love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit leads us to perceive the Lord’s presence and love in our lives, and moves us to respond joyfully in prayer and adoration.  Piety is not mere outward religiosity; it is that genuine religious spirit which makes us turn to the Father as his children and to grow in our love for others, seeing them as our brothers and sisters, members of God’s family.  Let us ask that, through this gift o...

In his weekly general audience, the Pope described the Holy Spirit as a 'gift from God' that's born from prayer and communion. To see things through the eyes of God, he explained, comes precisely from the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The Church has traditionally recognized seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today we begin a series of catecheses on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is himself the "gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:10), the presence of God’s love in the Church and in our hearts.  Based on a messianic prophecy of Isaiah, the Church has traditionally distinguished seven gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. The first of these is wisdom.  As a spiritual gift, this wisdom is an interior light, a grace enabling us to contemplate all thing...

In his weekly general audience, Pope Francis reflected on the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He described it as the source of the Church's life that makes itself present throughout one's pilgrimage of 'faith, fellowship and witness.' The Pope then added that the Eucharist is not only God's flesh, but also a living witness of the Scriptures. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH: Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on the sacraments of Christian initiation, we now reflect on the Eucharist, the sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. As the source of the Church’s life, the Eucharist accompanies every step of our pilgrimage of faith, fellowship and witness. The Mass is a banquet which nourishes us not only with the bread of life received from the altar, where Christ’s sacrifice is offered, but also with the proclamation of God’s word in the Scriptures. At the Last Supper, Christ gave us this sacrament when he broke bread and offered the cup as th...

Neither the cold, or the distance could keep this family from traveling all the way from Argentina to St. Peter's Square. They made it a point to come bright and early to the Pope's general audience to catch a glimpse of their former archbishop. "Yeah, we came all the way from Buenos Aires in Argentina. It was a 13 hour flight to get here. We arrived two days ago and we're leaving tomorrow. So, we specifically came for this.” They were happy to see the Pope, but they were hoping for a little something extra. They wanted the Pope to greet their baby boy Gonzalo... and as luck would have it, he did... The boy's father says it was both exciting and unforgettable. "I really wanted Pope Francis to kiss my son, but I didn't really know how to go about it. I tried to talk to the guards beforehand. They didn't seem too sure about the whole thing, but in the end, it happened.” They we're thinking of what they could do, to get the Pope to notice t...

Mornings in Rome are quite chilly in the winter, but even so, about 35,000 people came to see Pope Francis. Despite the cold weather, families brought their children so they could get a glimpse of the Pope. As usual, he made sure the kids were warm, and he even tried to comfort a little girl, who wasn't too happy. During his catechesis, he focused on Baptism. He said whoever receives the Sacrament is called to be a missionary and disciple at all stages in life- and that includes even bishops and the Pope himself. POPE FRANCIS "It's for everyone: The youngest person is considered a missionary as is the oldest one. Some of you may ask, 'But Father, bishops aren't missionaries, they know everything and so does the Pope, they aren't disciples.' Well yes they are. Even Bishops and the Pope should be disciples, because if they're not, they're not doing good. If they are not missionaries, they are not transmitting the faith.” He explained that be...

( Vatican Radio ) Pope Francis on Wednesday reflected on the great gift we received when we were baptized. Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly General Audience, the Pope began a series of catecheses on the Sacraments, starting with Baptism. He said that the Second Vatican Council tells us that the Church herself is a “Sacrament”, a grace-filled sign which makes Christ’s saving work present in history, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And speaking of Baptism, the first of the Church’s seven Sacraments, Pope Francis said “it gives us new birth in Christ, makes us sharers in the mystery of his death and resurrection, grants the forgiveness of sin and brings us new freedom as God’s children and members of his Church”. He urged us not to forget the great gift we have received. “Our baptism has changed us, given us a new and glorious hope, and empowered us to bring God’s redeeming love to all, particularly the poor, in whom we see the face of...

Pope Francis talked about Christmas and the birth of Jesus, during Wednesday's General Audience. He explained that God was humble enough to come down to be with the people, in the form of his Son, to serve others. If Christians want to be like God, he added, they must be more humble. The Pope said that to be more like God, all Christians must be close and attentive to others, especially the poor. POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH Dear Brothers and Sisters: In these last days of Advent we prepare ourselves spiritually to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Christmas is a feast of joyful hope, for God has become one with us in the person of his Son, true God and true man. He showed his love for us by becoming part of our world, with all its conflicts, its suffering and its poverty.  Jesus is truly Emmanuel: God among us.  This is the great "gift” which he brings: a divine love which heals and transforms our hearts, overcoming all uncertainty and pessimism. Our joyful c...

Vatican City, 11 December 2013 (VIS) – The Pope dedicated his final catechesis on the Creed to its last article: “I believe in life everlasting”, focusing in particular on the final judgement. “When we think of Christ's return and of His final judgement, which will show, up to the very last consequences, the good that each person will have done or omitted to do during his or her earthly life, we realise that we find ourselves before a mystery that overwhelms us, that we cannot even imagine. A mystery that almost instinctively arouses in us a sense of fear, and perhaps even trepidation. However, if we reflect closely on this fact, it cannot but enlarge the heart of a Christian, and constitutes a great reason for consolation and trust”. Pope Francis explained that “in this respect, the witness of the first Christian communities is very interesting, since their celebrations and prayers were generally accompanied by the exclamation 'Maranatha', an acclamation made up of...

Vatican City, 4 December 2013 (VIS) - “I believe in the resurrection of the flesh” was the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during this Wednesday's general audience. “It is a truth that is neither simple nor self-evident”, he said, “as, living immersed in this world, it is not easy to understand what will happen in the future. But the Gospel enlightens us”. This vigil, for the “glorious kingdom, which we anxiously await” is “the source and the reason for our hope; a hope which, if cultivated and preserved, becomes a “light to illuminate our personal and communal story”. The Pope emphasized that “we must always remember we are disciples of He who came, who comes to us every day and who will come to us again at the end”, and reiterated that if we were able to keep this fact present in our minds, we would be less overwhelmed by daily life, less imprisoned by the ephemeral and more willing to walk the path of salvation with a merciful heart”. Pope Francis recalled that...

November 27, 2013. (Romereports.co) In his weekly general audience,  Pope Francis talked about the meaning of death. The Pope explained that even though death is often misunderstood, feared and denied, humans were designed to yearn for the infinite, found precisely in Eternal life.   The Pope then added that if one lives with God, abandoning life can be done 'serenely and confidently into His hands at the moment of our death.' SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our catechesis on the Creed, we now reflect on “the resurrection of the body”. Christian faith illumines the mystery of death and brings the hope of the resurrection.  Death challenges all of us: apart from belief in God and a vision of life as something greater than earthly existence, death appears as wholly tragic; we misunderstand it, fear and deny it. Yet human beings were made for something greater; we yearn for the infinite, the eternal. Christ’s Resurrection not only off...

November 6, 2013. (Romereports.com) Those attending Wednesday's general audience, didn't expect the Pope to ask them a favor, but with about 50,000 out in the Square,  that's exactly what he did. POPE FRANCIS “And now, I will ask all of you for an act of charity. Don't worry, it's not about money.” The Pope explained that before the audience, he met with a one year old girl named Noemi, who is extremely ill. Reflecting on Christians' unity with the 'Communion of Saints' he asked everyone to pray for the little girl. POPE FRANCIS “Even though we might not know her, she is Baptized. She is one of us, she's a Christian. Let's express an act of love for her. First, in silence, let's ask the Lord to help her at this very moment. May He give her health. Let's take a moment of silence, then let's pray a Hail Mary.” During his catechesis he explained that the Communion of Saints is based on the Sacraments. It's through them, ...

Vatican City, 6 November 2013 (VIS) – The communion of holy persons who grow through participation in spiritual goods, and above all the Sacraments, the charisms and charity, was the theme of Pope Francis' catechesis during today's general audience. In the Sacraments, each one of us is “incorporated in Christ and united with the entire community of believers. Therefore, if one the one hand there is the Church who 'makes' the Sacraments, on the other there are the Sacraments which 'make' the Church, edifying her, generating new sons, and joining them to the holy people of God”. Furthermore, “the Sacraments offer us the impetus to become missionaries, and the apostolic commitment to taking the faith to all places, even the most hostile, is the most authentic fruit of a steadfast sacramental life, inasmuch as it constitutes participation in God's salvific plan, which aims at bringing salvation to all”. The second aspect of communion in holy things is the...

(Romereports.com) Pope Francis explained that the Church he leads is Catholic because it is universal. During his remarks, he said the Church embraces everyone, and celebrates each person's differences. He added that the Church provides people all they need to grow in holiness. To close off, he asked everyone to pray to God to make them more Catholic, by embracing everyone in praising God.   Dear Brothers and Sisters: In the Creed, we profess that the Church is “catholic”; in other words, she is universal. We can understand this catholicity in three ways. First, the Church is catholic because she proclaims the apostolic faith in its entirety; she is the place where we meet Christ in his sacraments and receive the spiritual gifts needed to grow in holiness together with our brothers and sisters. The Church is also catholic because her communion embraces the whole human race, and she is sent to bring to the entire world the joy of salvation and the truth of the Gospel. Finally...

October 2, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his general audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis talked about contradictions. He explained that the Church is holy, despite the sins and flaws of its members, including that of popes.   He explained that people don't make the Church holy, but rather God does. He said it's holy because the Church cannot be separated from Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, sinners receive help. POPE FRANCIS “Throughout history there has been the temptation to say that the Church is only for the 'pure' and for those who live completely coherent lives...and the rest can leave. But this isn't true. That is heresy! The Church is indeed Holy, but She doesn't reject sinners. None of us are rejected. The Church doesn't reject us, but rather it welcomes all of us. The Church is also open to those who are farthest from Her.” The Pope said that understanding the true meaning of holiness is key. The Church, he said, is not a p...

September 25, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his weekly general audience, Pope Francis talked about unity within the Church. He explained that having Catholic communities in different cultures and environments is a strength that needs to be nourished and protected. He also warned against the damage that comes with petty gossip. POPE FRANCIS “You can't imagine just how much parishes and communities are affected by gossip. It causes pain, gossip causes pain. A Christian who is on the verge of gossiping, should bite his tongue Am I right? A Christian must bite his tongue! This would do good, because when the tongue swells one cannot speak or gossip.” With thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope made it a point to ask the crowd very direct questions. He specifically addressed  their commitment to strengthen the unity of the Church at home and abroad. POPE FRANCIS “I will ask you all a question. Everyone answer in silence, in your hearts. How many of ...

September 11, 2013. (Romereports.com)  During his weekly general audience, Pope Francis described the Church as a Mother. He explained that just like a parent, the Church gives life, nourishes and accompanies her children throughout life. Reflecting on this powerful bond, the Pope then added that part of the relationship includes bringing others to the faith. POPE'S CATECHESIS Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today I wish to continue our catechesis on the Church by reflecting on an image used by the early Fathers and the Second Vatican Council: the Church as our Mother.  By reflecting on the human experience of maternity, we understand that the Church is like our own Mothers. First, like our Mothers, the Church gives us the gift of life.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are reborn as children of God and receive his life.  While faith is a personal act, we also recognize that faith comes to us through others – our families and communities who teach us how to b...